Marketing should not be a scattershot strategy. Targeting specific groups or types of customers can help you sell more effectively. Our how-to guides this week will show you how to market to teens, older Americans, Hispanic customers and even big companies and institutions.

This week's Q&A offers tips and solutions for putting a lot more punch into your business presentations. Visit our What Works for Business blog for the latest small business solutions.





How to Punch Up Your Presentations

Q. Dear Dan: With sales in the tank, I’m hitting the street more to pitch my small business. After dusting off my old presentation, it still looks kind of dull. How can I spice it up? - Punchless Presenter

A. Dear Punchless: For millions of small business owners, success hinges on pitching something through a presentation of one kind or another. The idea is to impress your audience with an irresistible message and polished pitch. Here are some tips on making your presentations stand out: [Read More]




Selling to the Young Set
Marketing to Teens
By Matt Alderton
Are American teenagers worth marketing to? Here are four good reasons: 1. There will be about 33.5 million teens in the U.S. by 2010. 2. The Millennial Generation averages $158 billion per year in disposable "income." 3. Seventeen percent of teenagers are “influencers” that set trends and whose opinions matter to friends and family. 4. Nearly four in 10 teens have a checking or savings account or check card in their own name. And here's how to do it:
Read Full Guide

American's Largest Minority Group
Marketing to Hispanic Customers
By Greg Brown
It's hard to imagine marketing to "Asians" or "people in the Western Hemisphere". So it should be no surprise that Latin American immigrants and their U.S.-born descendents don't necessarily identify with words like "Hispanic" and "Latino." Many prefer to think of themselves as Mexicans, Hondurans or, for second- and third-generation kids of immigrants, simply Americans. Yet, add them up, and it's a $750 billion spending-power opportunity. Try these strategies: Read Full Guide

Targeting Older Americans
Selling to Seniors
By Charles Dervarics
Across the U.S., a new person turns 50 every seven seconds. But while aging baby boomers get most of the attention, the senior market is diverse. Relationships matter most to a 75-year-old, while '60s music may attract the "young" senior. Since seniors account for about 75 percent of all U.S. wealth, there's money to be made with this population. To better understand this market, you'll need a three-part strategy: Read Full Guide

Targeting Big Business
Selling to Big Companies and Institutions
By Daniel Kehrer
Just as big companies differ from small ones, and wealthy buyers aren't the same as penny pinchers, big customers differ from little ones. To bag them — and keep them — you may need some special strategies and tactics. \ But negotiating your way through a big buyer's bureaucracy can be tricky. Often there are many layers of individuals involved, and special requirements to meet — some obvious, some hidden. Here's how to do it right: Read Full Guide

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